Flu Remedy Coming Soon from Research in Space
Influenza affects 20 to 40 million people and results in some 20 thousand deaths annually in the US, but relief is on the way!
The loss of productivity due to flu is staggering. Costs range as much as $20 billion/year.
High mutation rates of the flu virus have hindered development of new drugs or vaccines.
But new data from protein crystals grown in space and on earth have unlocked the secret of the flu bug and revealed its Achilles heel!
The secret lies in a small molecule which is attached to the host cell’s surface. Each flu virus, no matter what strain, must remove this small molecule to escape the host cell to spread infection.
Using data from space and earth grown crystals, researchers from the Center of Macromolecular Crystallography (CMC) are designing drugs (keys) to bind with this protein’s active site (lock).
This lock and key fit reduces the spread of flu in the body by blocking its escape route.
In collaboration with its corporate partner, the CMC has refined drug structure in preparation for clinical trials.
Tested and approved relief is expected to reach drugstores by 2004.
Three Dimensional Protein Structure reconstructed from x-ray crystallography image.